Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: The Scarlet Explorer
by ChancellorSC
Summary: After a horrible accident during one of his missions, a Houndoom named Star finds a lone Zorua named Scarlet who is the only survivor of the incident. Out of pity, Star decides to take her into his care, but tasked with hiding his dark past, and constant struggle to keep his horrible secrets hidden away. Does he have the responsibility to care for the young fox Pokemon on his own?
1. Chapter 1: The Job

Star huffed as he climbed over yet another ridge toward his destination, cursing under his breath with every step. 'The moron who suggested taking a shortcut through the badlands is losing their dinner privileges for a week,' he thought to himself. Much to the disdain of the guild, he had the power to do that. Being the Guildmaster's second in command had its perks after all. He usually wasn't sent out on missions and kept to his respectful place at the guild in the bustling town of Presidium. This case was different. Normally he would give each team or guild member their own individual assignments for the day- depending on their rank and overall skill level out in the field -and go on his merry way, but for every time he sent out Pokémon to capture a certain outlaw, they would come back bloodied and beaten. The amount of injured explorers and rescue teams were crippling to the inflow of cash, as no team was available to get any new jobs. The guild was in a bad shape, struggling to make ends meet, and the fact that a single outlaw was responsible for disrupting an organized guild's income was infuriating to Star. After all, he was the one in charge of finance too. He took it upon himself to take on the bandit himself with any means necessary, mostly because there were no other experienced members left to even attempt to challenge him. Hopefully it wouldn't come to drastic measures. Even if he was one of the strongest explorers in the group, he never really relished on the thought of fighting. It always left a bad taste in his mouth, and he tried to avoid a fight whenever possible. Eventually, Star had reached the location: Flaming Dusk Forest (named after a savage forest fire long ago, it was originally just "Dusk Forest"). The trees loomed high over the lowering sunset, and the inside of the forest looked pitch and foreboding. The entrance was clear of any Pokémon, and the path that lead inside seemed safe as well. Star walked up to the threatening entrance, glaring into the darkness as the last rays of sunlight shone on him.

Star was a Houndoom, his fur very disheveled and tinted a deep bluish hue. He had a burnt orange underbelly and weathered silver rings on each of his four legs, just above the paws. His head was topped with two large horns, one chipped and cracked at the end. Two dark purple eyes that shimmered on his soft looking expression. His tail swayed back and forth, the pointed end sharp in case anyone tried to get the jump on him. And of course, he wore a red and orange focus sash around his neck, like a scarf. Not many Pokémon had seen Star without it. It gave him confidence, always standing out among his overall dark and gloomy look. The sash was infamous throughout the guild and even Presidium itself, and no one but Star would ever dare to touch it.

He stood and waited at the entrance, not moving an inch as the sun slowly set over the treetop. Eventually the sun had set, and the moon shining bright and full up in the sky. A grin had etched on his muzzle as he pulled out a poster from his treasure bag that was hanging lazily over his side. A wanted poster.

**Name: Kross**

**Gender: Male**

**Species: Tyranitar**

**Bounty: 15,000: Dead or Alive**

_**Warning! Any Pokémon traveling throughout the main path north of Presidium toward Thousand Ocean's City are to be on the watch for this outlaw. Little is known but suspect is very dangerous and hostile. Any information on the assailant will be rewarded.**_

He crumpled it up and tossed it aside before stealthily creeping into the forest. The air was dry and thick, and the ground felt heavy. Burnt stumps of what used to be trees littered the ground as bare trees stood sturdy through the forest. Star avoided using the path and headed down through a somewhat open area in the brush, careful to keep his treasure bag away from anything that could attract noise. His purple eyes faintly glowed in the darkness, his movements gracefully moving over twigs and leaves sprawled out on the dirt. It wasn't long before he came across a clearing, two Manectric going sifting through a cart filled to the brim with bags and chests most likely from their latest heist. Star took a few seconds to observe his surroundings, although difficult due to the darkness. The two thieves were chatting, one talking about some sort of debt they had to pay off and the other teasing him about it. 'Might as well...' Star considered as he slowly and cautiously stepped out of the brush into the clearing. As soon as his paw stepped out from his dark hiding spot, a loud booming crash rattled his ears as he was lifted up by his paw and hurled into a nearby tree across the other side of the clearing. The hellhound let out a yip as the air was knocked out of his lungs, leaving him heaving on the ground. His vision came too, and he could make a good guess on who had just attacked him.

"Another one of you guild members? Persistent little pest's aren't ya?"

Even in the dark, Star could clearly see the large, burly Tyranitar lumbering toward him, one Manectric on each of his sides.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd think your guild has a bit of an obsession with little old me," he taunted. "Say, whats my bounty now anyways? It was 12,000 last time I checked."

Star had just scoffed him off, brushing himself off with his tail and stretching in place. The two Manectric surrounded him as Kross let out a chuckle.

"Look at this smug little prick!" he boasted. He smiled as he slowly lifted his arm back and thrusted it toward Star, who was standing perfectly still.

Star turned his head, a dim glimmer shining in his eyes as his teeth glowed with a faint aura. A swift Crunch attack to Kross' hand halted the attack, and a swift turn of the head tipped the bulky Pokémon onto one of the dumbfounded Manectric. Kross being easily three times his size, easily crushed the electric pokemon under his colossal weight. The other Manectric panicked and ran off into the wood, ignoring the loot. Star stepped back as Kross stood up, growling with anger. Star kept his smug grin as the bandit charged him. Star stood sturdy, ready for another Sucker Punch, but was surprised to see him stop mid charge. He threw his arms up into the air and slammed them into the earth, fracturing it as the ground shook underneath Star, knocking him off balance. The ground only shook harder and more violent, knocking over small trees and tumbling rocks about. Eventually, the tremors were enough to throw objects into the air, even Star. He gritted his teeth as he began to fall, only to be caught by the bandit by the neck. Kross brought him close, puffing hot air from his flared nostrils onto the explorer's unamused face. He clenched his grip on the hellhound's throat, and Star began to kick and struggle against the colossal beast, but to no avail; the Tyranitar was too enraged to let go now. Star began to retaliate, building up flames in his gullet to try and singe Kross' grip from him. Kross was smarter than he looked, however, seeing the faint glow emanating from the chest of his adversary. That Sucker Punch he hadn't used before came in at full force, straight to Star's soft underbelly. A jolt of pain shot through the Houndoom's body as the wind was knocked from him for the second time. Kross soon learned of his mistake as the pained Star let out an exasperated cough. The charged flames were flown out from his gullet in an uncontrolled fashion, sending fire in all directions in front of the fire pokemon, hitting the bandit point blank in the face. The outlaw let out an ear piercing shriek as his face was burnt, releasing his firm grasp on Star, him landing to the ground with a thud. His vision blurred as he coughed, taking in deep breathes and heaving on the ground. It took him a couple seconds to gather his bearings, but his nose caught a peculiar scent from the other direction. A few seconds later, composed again, he turned toward the smell. Star's eyes widened and he scooted backward up against a tree. He was breathing fast, panicking. The tree's had caught fire, and were spreading fast. 'The smell was smoke, how could I have been so oblivious!' he thought as the heat began to hit against his face. Embers were flying off burning branches and leaves and hitting the ground, catching the brush on fire too, spreading it faster. Star was paralyzed by fear, his eyes growing ever wider as the growing, monstrous, uncontrollable flame. He began to tremble as he stared unblinking at the fire. He was hyperventilating, terrified out of his mind. He had to get out; he didn't want to endure the suffering again. The hellhound panicked and quickly looked for a way out. Kross was unresponsive on the smouldering ground, too late for an attempt to get him out. The fire was getting hotter, and the smoke thicker, stinging Star's lungs and eyes as he desperately looked for an exit to this torture. After pointless seconds of looking for a way out in vain, he settled for the main path, and bolted down, hoping the route was not blocked by fire. So far so good, but the fire had already spread throughout this section of the forest. Star huffed as he ran, his lungs burning as they filled with smoke. He could hear Pidgey's above crying out in horror as their homes were set ablaze and squawked as they flew as fast as they could. Star risked a peek behind him as he ran. The same sight as the front: seemingly never ending fire. The sharp sound of crackling wood brought his attention back up front. A large burning tree had given in to the ravaging flame and was tipping over across the path. Star was feeling his legs growing numb by the second, wheezing as his vision was blurring. The crackling was growing louder, but the exit was peeking in his sight. The explorer clenched his teeth and made a last ditch effort, adrenaline pushing his body just enough to evade the toppling tree as is smashed into the ground over the destabilizing forest. His legs finally gave in as he fell through the exit, just far enough from any real threat. Star rolled and tumbled along the ground and stopped, closing his eyes as he breathed slowly in the faint glow of the fire still raging close beside him.


	2. Chapter 2: The Aftermath

Star hadn't moved from his spot on the ground for a few minutes now, the only movement he made was curling up in a ball and shaking heavily. Not that he was shaking from the cold or anything, it was early in the spring months, but shaking from the sudden wave of repressed memories racking and bouncing around in his head. He had hidden them for a while now, the nightmares were becoming less frequent and his paranoia was becoming less evident. A shame that all that progress had to go to waste. He took another minute or two to calm down, but still he was quivering with a nervous expression. The fire was still blazing but the worst had come and passed.

The full moon was shining brightly down across the cloudless sky, the combination of moonlight and the light shining from the fire made it easy to see. But Star didn't want to see, he didn't want to see the chaos that he alone had caused to this entire ecosystem. Entire families' lives ruined because of another mistake, and thats all that went through his mind, mistakes. His life was built up on mistakes. Everything he had ever done was a mistake. How did he even ever get into Nero's guild anyways? Let alone the Guildmasters assistant. 'The guild...' The guild had totally slipped his mind, they are probably worried sick. Hopefully the news of the fire hadn't spread that far just yet. If there was one thing he didn't want to deal with, is the constant barrage of questions that are sure to be asked by the rest of the guild members.

He slowly got up, his body numb and pale as he still quivered. Instead of going through the badlands again, he decided to take the main road leading from Presidium and Thousand Oceans; most stops and dungeons were relatively close to the main road, and thankfully was flat, and for the most part, a straight shot toward either location. A portion of Flaming Dusk stuck close to the path, a good half hour walk until anyone was technically out of the forest. In retrospect, the main path was much safer than the badlands, and arguably shorter as bandits seldom attacked on the roads and prefered to stalk any weary traveler or tourist who was unlucky enough to get lost. He could have easily passed off as a humble merchant or sightseer instead of a guild member. He let out a sigh and finally started his trek back to Nero's Guild, and he was certainly not looking forward to giving his report.

Star had been walking down the path at a sluggish pace for a while now, the forest still hugging along the path, so he hadn't gotten far. He assumed the main stretch wasn't too far away, and when he hit that, it would still be another hour or two of walking, three in his condition. The fire had just about died down in this part of the forest, but the heat was still pressing against his face. Earlier, Star had tightened his Focus Sash around his neck, and tucked his nose inside. At first glance, most Pokémon, when faced with the task of describing the hellhound, would take the simple sash for granted. Some would say that the explorer hated the cold, or just wanted to look fashionable. Some would even go as far to insult him by saying he needed it because he couldn't take a hit, as per its function to protect the wearer from any moves that were to knock them out in one hit. That was not the case. To Star, no one could ever understand what the sash meant to him. It was much more than that. Ever since he could remember, he wore that sash. From when he was a Houndour living in Shettle Forest, he had that on. It wasn't until the incident when he learned of its true value to him, when it became a part of him, and to take that part of him away was the worst thing you could do.

The sash made him feel safe, invulnerable from anything that could ever get in his way. Without it, he felt weak and frail, an open target ready to be struck. His defenceless, sensitive side. This was the side that he never wanted to show. It was a wall in a way, to keep his weaknesses hidden away, so that no one could ever use them against him. Most Pokémon saw Star as someone to be respected, feared even. He learned to hide his inhibitions with bravado and a sunny smile, learning to laugh at everything. Everyone saw him as such, but one bad day, and the ruse could be swept away just like that. And as he trembled, with his sash tucked tenderly under his neck with his nose stuffed in, and nervous demeanor on his face, he felt that vulnerable side. He felt years of built up mental barriers being broken down by waves of repressed memories. You would think that time would heal all wounds, and that people can just get over things. To some, it's that simple, but to Star, he could never forgive himself for what he did. All he could really do now was close his eyes and try to calm down. Ignore the fire, ignore the outlaw, ignore his insecurities. Take deep breaths and walk steadily. He just hoped soon that he would get out of that damned, charred forest.

The moon shone brightly down on the lonely dirt road. Star was long gone from Flaming Dusk, only a faint smoke stack fluttering above the trees showing any signs of the forest. "Only an hour to go," he kept telling himself to push him to keep going, but in reality, all it did was remind him on how tired he was. He could have stopped and camped out in a hole or under a tree, but Star was stubborn as he was lax. At least he managed to push his mental issues back to the depths of his psyche, and he wasn't as anxious as before, almost fine in fact. Even though he had fixed his mental status, he was still exhausted, and his adrenaline rush had worn away long ago. He did have a couple of bruises and cuts and had a fine layer of soot splattered on his body, but other than that he was fine. He kept walking, his pace slowing with every step. His stomach growled loudly since he hadn't eaten anything since that morning. His mouth was dry from thirst, and his eyes struggled to stay open.

A few more seconds of walking and Star was forced to stop, tripping over his own legs and landing off the road, using a tree as support to get up. 'Alright...I'll take a break...' he thought to himself as he sat up against the tree, popping open his treasure bag. Not much inside, a bundle of oran berries was the only thing remaining. Star growled and gave a light punch to the tree. His other supplies must had fallen out of the bag during the run out of the forest. He grabbed one, and put the blue treat in his muzzle and chewed it, spitting out the stem a few seconds later. He took a deep breath as his body relaxed, the oran berry taking its effect. He closed his bag and got up. 'Hopefully that will be enough to give me time to find some water,' he thought as he slung his bag over his back and slowly moved deeper off the path into the brush.

Eventually he found a small pond. The weary explorer let out a belated sigh and threw his bag off to the side and flopped his battered body down next to the pond. Despite the juicy, energy filled berry, he still had a difficult time keeping his eyes open. But even though his eyesight was impaired from fatigue, he peered into the deep blue water, the same color as his fur. He could see his reflection, dulled by the night. A weathered Houndoom, with worn violet eyes, eyes that look like they have seen everything. A Houndoom, with a dusty indigo coat, with cuts, bruises and soot covering every inch. He could see dull and scratched silver rings on each leg, and around that Houndoom's neck was a dirty Focus Sash. He sighed again, drooping his head as he remembered the events that transpired not to long ago. He rested his head on his folded front paws as he used his long pointed tail to grab his treasure bag again. He kept his eyes to the water as he grabbed another berry in the bag, eating the treat whole again. It wasn't until the water started to ripple slightly that Star finally snapped out of his stump, the ripples distorting his image. The hellhound slowly raised his head, following the tiny waves until his gaze rested across the pond.

Star let out a small gasp and froze for a bit. A Zorua was across the pond on a tiny ledge, laying down in a similar fashion as Star. He couldn't make out its features from where he was, but he could clearly see droplets every so often falling from its face into the pond below. From what Star could tell, it was crying. Normally, Star would attempt to avoid these situations. Even though his intentions were headed toward the right direction, he always ended up making the Pokémon feel worse. As much as he tried to ignore it, his conscience kept telling him to help, or at least see what's wrong. He quietly sat up and reached into his bag, grabbing another berry and wrapping it firmly in his tail. He slowly made his way around the pond, the fox's sobs growing more audible as he crept forward. He managed to sit next to the Zorua without detection, the fox unaware of anything going on at the moment. After waiting awkwardly, Star slowly slipped the berry under its nose. The Zorua let out a surprised yip and sat up, rather painfully in fact. The fox turned its head and looked toward Star with tear filled eyes. Star tried his best to give a warm smile to try and show that he was there to help, but the Zorua shuddered and lowered itself toward the berry, giving it a quizzical look. Star motioned for it to eat the snack, and it reluctantly took a tiny bite. Star smiled a bit and sat down, but again, the Zorua whimpered and backed away from the Houndoom. Star always seemed more intimidating during the night. The Zorua took another bite of the berry and somehow managed to lighten up. Star used the opportunity to wipe a tear from it's tired eyes and moved closer to it. Both pokemon stared at each other, wondering if either one would do anything rash.

Star used this chance to get a good look at the Zorua. The fox had to be a vixen. Star was unusually familiar with anatomy, (although he very much dislikes it when mentioned around him) and based on her stature, she had the build for an average female, unless it was a rather feminine male, but that was unlikely. From her size, he could assume she wasn't very old, ten years at most. Her fur was a pale grey color, like a normal Zorua. Her collar was black, and her tuft and end of her tail were a bright red, although her fur was more well kept and curly. The only other unique thing distinguishing her from a normal Zorua would be her pale pink eyes. She had a large gash across her forearm which she tried to soothe by rubbing it, but to no avail. The thing that caught Star's attention the most was that she too, was covered in bruises, cuts, and soot. Star could only guess where those came from.

He shuddered a bit but kept it to himself, and kept his smile firm. The vixen gulped down the rest of her berry and sighed, looking up at Star with her innocent pink eyes. She cleared her throat and began to speak in a soft and high pitched voice. "Did you get stuck in the fire too mister?" she asked. The question caught Star off guard and he struggled to answer.

"Well, I was-" he stammered before the fox spoke up again.

"It was scary. My brothers told me to run while they went to help other Pokémon," she continued. Star could feel his heart wrench and fall in his chest. "Then this big tree smashed into the ground and knocked me down a ridge, and my arm started to hurt. It feels better now though thanks to you!" she said rather happily, which caught the Houndoom off guard once again. He managed a smile and gulped stuttering a question, which he felt like he would soon regret.

"W-Where are your parents?" he managed to say.

"I don't know," she replied. "They were out picking berries for breakfast tomorrow when the fire happened, but I'm sure they'll come and find me soon." Star did his best to hide the tension in his voice, he had a hunch of exactly where they were, and it wasn't pretty.

This changes everything, it changes it greatly. Originally, the explorer had only intended to comfort the Zorua until she went on her merry way. He had not considered that she had a warm and loving family to return too, one that had unfortunately been killed by a recent forest fire. She didn't know this, she was still young, naive, innocent. Star on the other hand, he did, and it put a horrid taste in his mouth.

Star was never too keen on fighting, he always felt that there was a different approach to things, but others ridiculed him for it. He learned to simply avoid fights with excuses in exchange for telling the truth that he didn't want to fight. Nonetheless, he was still a suburb fighter, able to fend for himself. He wouldn't be the Guildmaster's right hand man if he wasn't. But whenever it had to be done Star always felt bad, knowing that he could have done it another way, and saved some bloodshed. It left a similar taste in his mouth, bitter and wretched. Then came the times where a certain someone comes into the guild, with a certain job in mind. One that can't be put up on any job board or in any mailbox for an eager explorer to wake up too. This one goes directly to the Guildmaster himself, and from him, it went to Star. How he loathed those days. It was a day much like today, actually. Most jobs say to bring an outlaw back alive, but these, were the outlaw is too much of a danger to the safety of others and their villages 'Hits' are called on them. Star hated fighting, but killing was twice as bad. It is only natural after all. Most guild members never had to deal with these jobs, only Star himself. And each time he completed one, that same taste lingered in his mouth.

And here that taste was again. It wasn't enough he killed a bandit, he was a criminal, though. The thought that he essentially killed off an entire forest full of innocent Pokémon shattered his will and his heart. He tightened his sash around his neck some more and looked down at the Zorua. He couldn't just leave her here. He managed to push the right words out of his throat.

"What's your name?" A simple question, maybe break the ice some more to get her more comfortable, and more comfortable she will have to get if his plan is going to work. The vixen looked back up at his purple eyes.

"My name is Scarlet," she smiled, almost confident in the way it sounded.

"Well, Scarlet," Star began. "My name is Star. I work at Nero's Guild at Presidium not too far from here." The Zorua sat back and let out a gasp in awe.

"Woah, you're an explorer? That's so cool! My friend's cousin was an explorer and he-" Star cut her off by clearing his throat.

"Anyways, yes I am an Explorer, a very high ranking one in fact," he continued, hoping to excite her a bit more.

"Really?" she said eagerly. "What do you do?"

"Well, I am the Guildmaster's assistant," he said, with a bit of bluster at the end. She wagged her tail in response and let out more 'aahhh's and 'ooo's. "Well, I was thinking, maybe I can take you somewhere safe, and send out a team to find your..." he struggled to make out the word. "...parents." The final word was said with so little enthusiasm, it almost made Star cringe, but it seemed the Zorua didn't catch it.

"That sound's awesome! Are you going to show me your guild? Is it big?" Naive, like he said. "Are there super nice Pokémon like you?" Like you? That phrase echoed throughout his head and pinged around his skull like a rubber ball. He felt like he was nice, he was always generous, maybe too generous for his own good. He never turned down a job, and he always treated his recruits fairly, for the most part. And helping this Zorua, Scarlet, he guessed it was pretty nice of him, even for his troubled heart. He could see that. He let out the largest smile he had given that entire night, showing off his razor sharp teeth.

"Sure kiddo, I'll give you the grand tour when we get back, okay?" She let out an excited squeal and hopped in the air, surprisingly high for her injury.

"Awesome! I can't wait! I just hope my parents know where this Presidium place is," she said.

"Yeah..." Star mumbled to himself, he knew he had to tell her eventually. Might as well let her enjoy herself. Maybe the news will have less of an impact if she was happy, right?

Star grabbed his treasure bag and slung it around his back. "Come on Scarlet, get in my treasure bag, I'll carry you." She obediently hopped in the bag, her head sticking out the top for air, the tuft on her head frazzled. She nodded, and soon Star was off on the road once more.


	3. Chapter 3: The Town

Star was walking down the worn out road once again, faster than before, but having trouble considering there was a ten pound fox in his bag eating the rest of his berries. He was hoping she would fall asleep, give him time to think about what he was going to do. He had a home, but it was seldom used. He usually stayed at the guild, where there were ample beds to rest in. He could keep her at the guild, but some Pokémon might ask questions about her. Maybe word of the fire spreads to her and she connects the dots. Even if she could get in past the rumors, Nero's Guild had a policy: only staff and explorer teams allowed, no exceptions. He could make her an explorer, but he wasn't sure about her fighting capabilities. He sighed. It was late, and his mind was clouded with thoughts, he needed a good nights rest before he made any drastic decisions.

"You know, I have never been this far away from the forest." The sudden voice snapped Star out of his thoughts. "My parents always told me it was safest there."

Star tried to joke around to lighten the mood.

"Well, guess they will think twice next time about keeping you pent up in one place. Dangerous, ain't it?"

She let out a giggle and sighed.

"Yeah...I guess. So, when are we getting to town? It's getting hot in this bag." Star let out a chuckle of his own and sighed. Then it hit him, he remembered something.

"Actually...we are taking a little detour...is that alright?"

"Sure it is Star, just more to explore!" she replied back loudly.

"You got an explorer's spirit in you lass, I can see it," he grinned back.

He took a sharp right, down a path covered in dead leaves. He had come down this road many of times. Sometimes for supplies, sometimes for a rest, and sometimes just to visit. He felt like maybe the pokemon down this route were getting tired of him. He did tend to be a tad impolite at times and even a bit insensitive towards certain subjects, but it wasn't entirely his fault. He blamed his poor choice of words. Scarlet began to sink into the bag as trees began to slowly cover up more of the moonlight, making it pitch black as the road lead on.

"This road used to lead up to an old village back in the day. Unfortunately, after Presidium and other towns were built, most Pokémon left this to live there. It was safer and more opportunities were available," Star explained.

Eventually, Star had come to an opening, where the area was dimly light with moonlight from patches in the treetops. In the opening, there were piles of brick and wood, covered in moss and plants, lost to nature as time took its toll on them, except for one lone building in the back; a mansion of sorts. Star smiled and gave himself a pat on the back. He always felt glad he could remember where the place was.

Scarlet shivered in her bag as Star walked up to the old tattered mansion.

"A-Are you sure its safe to go in there?" she said, lowering her ears. Star only nodded and went up to the large door looking it over again. He always felt that the door could be smaller, it seemed to ostentatious in his mind. He knocked three times, followed by another knock a few seconds later. Shuffling was heard in the house, and some conversation for a few seconds. Star tapped his paw outside impatiently, maybe they had gotten tired of him. But alas, a loud clank was heard as the lock was unlocked and the door slowly opened. There was a big enough creek in the door for Star to get a good look in, but he wasn't looking in, he was looking down at the one who opened the door. A Ralts stood firm. Star couldn't tell if he was happy or angry to see him, since his eyes were always covered. At least he could look at the bright red scarf around his neck, make it look like he was making eye contact. The ironic thing is that he was positive that the Ralts was older than him; guess size doesn't matter.

"Star the Houndoom, what do you want now-" he said, stopping as he got a good look at the Pokémon in front of him. Battered, trembling slightly, dirty and covered in soot.

"I'll explain everything later...I just need to stay the night," Star pleaded.

"I don't know Star, it's hard to come by supplies out here..." the Ralts replied. Scarlet peeked her head out of the bag, she looked similar to Star, maybe even worse.

"Alex...please..." Star said softly. The Ralts sighed and opened the door enough for him to walk through. Star nodded his head in gratitude and entered quickly.

"You can stay, but you have some explaining to do." Star nodded and followed Alex down the floyer. The inside of the mansion was better than the outside. Sure, everything was dusty and dark, but the furniture was usable and the rooms were clean enough. The rooms had wallpaper drooping from the walls, and the furniture was outdated and begged for some restoration but other than that, fully functional. The two sat down at the main dining hall and began to chat.

"Hey, wheres Imani-" Star said as he turned a bit, a Chandelure quickly dropping from above right up to his face. Star let out a girly shriek and flinched back as the ghost Pokémon giggled and twirled, her shiny red bow magnifying her firelight.

"Hello Star, what brings you here again so soon?" she said cheerfully. After catching his breath, the Houndoom spoke.

"I..there has been an incident, but..." he pointed to the bag on his back, the Zorua inside finally getting some rest as her plump belly slowly rose and fell with her breath.

"Ah...I get it..." she said as she took the bag with one of her handles and floated off to another part of the house.

Alex cleared his throat."So, what happened exactly?"

Star leaned back and rubbed his forehead."I-I don't know Alex...it all happened so fast. I was sent out on another mission, to catch an outlaw in Flaming Dusk..." Alex sat firmly, keeping his arms crossed as he listened. "I found the guy and...fire. The whole forest caught fire. I barely made it out alive..." Alex nodded.

"That explains why you look like you lost a fight with Groudon."

"Yeah, no kidding, I feel like it too," Star said. "But then...I found the vixen, Scarlet. She was the only survivor I had found so far...I wasn't about to leave her like that..." The Ralts shuffled in his spot uneasily.

"Are you sure you made the right choice though?" Alex asked. "I mean, I know your heart is in the right place, but can you really take care of a child on your own?" Star let out a sigh and slouched in his chair.

"I don't know, I made a judgement call, I guess it's too late now," Star huffed. Alex nodded once more and got off his seat.

"Alright then, I guess it would be impolite for me to turn you down now," he said, a smidge of reluctance in his voice. "You know where your room is." Star let out a genuine smile.

"Thank you, this really means a lot to me..."

The Ralts nodded for one last time before Star shuffled his way to his room upstairs. It wasnt anything special. It was a room with a bed in one corner, and some old furniture in the rest, although he dared not to touch any in fear he might break something. Star did leave out a few details from his confession, like he was the one who started the whole mess. He was sure that with Alex's big brain he was sure to figure it out either way. For now, that was of no concern as he collapsed into the bed in one second, and was out like a light the next, not bothering to even clean himself off beforehand, and of course, not even thinking of taking off his sash.

It wasn't too long, an hour or two at best, that Star began to shuffle and sweat in his bed. He kicked instinctively and whimpered, and soon enough, he shot up from the bed and panted heavily, almost looking as if he were to bust into tears. He shivered in a cold sweat for a bit before slowly turning to his side to see a very worried looking Imani floating near. "O-Oh...sorry to wake you..." Star said, wiping his face.

"You didn't wake me, but Scarlet here was having bad dreams. Seems like you aren't having any luck either," Imani said. Star looked down to see a frightened Zorua looking at him with innocent pink eyes.

"It's nothing. I've had these for a while, nothing to be worried about," he reassured them.

"You know that's not true Star. Nightmares are a problem and if you have had them for this long, you should talk to someone about it...but I know how stubborn you are," Imani said, trying a smile. "Anyhow, I suggested that Scarlet sleep with you for the night, see if that helps. It looks like you could use some company too." Star was about to refuse, but she made very valid points. In the end he nodded and helped Scarlet up to the bed, where she curled up to his belly. He could feel her fluffy grey fur rub against his, her warmth emanating off of her body soothing him. Who knows what she is feeling next to his naturally warm body. The Chandelure smiled and floated out of the room, closing the door behind her.

"You get nightmares too Star?" she said softly.

"Yeah..." he replied without energy, laying his head back down on the bed. The Zorua moved and laid her head down by Star's neck, looking at him. "I've had them for a while now, ever since that bandit came into the forest..." Star closed his eyes, he really didn't want to hear it, but he had too, or he felt like he did. "I dream that my family, my parents and my older brothers, get stolen by the big bandit, and I am not fast enough to reach them, and no matter how hard I scream and cry, they never come back..."

Star slowly opened his eyes. Scarlet was lying limply on his arm next to his chest and neck, her eyes welled up with tears. He knew that dream. He knew it all too well. Then he did something unexpected. He placed his other paw on her head, and slowly pet her. She let out a gasp and looked up but only to be met with a small gentle kiss on her forehead. Star smiled a bit at her and whispered, "Don't worry Scarlet, it was only a dream, and if it ever happens, you can count on Star to get them back..." The vixen let out a tiny smile and slowly rubbed her head into Star's neck, tears idly falling from her tired eyes. "That bandit won't get you anymore," he said as he wiped the tears from her face. She smiled and whispered something he couldn't hear, but he knew exactly what she meant. And soon, they both laid their weary heads down and drifted off to sleep.

Star had awoken as a ray of sunlight hit his closed, relaxed eyes. He hadn't woken up at all that night. Maybe Imani's advice was right after all. Then again, Alex and Imani were both rather intelligent Pokémon, both more suited to the task of Guildmaster's assistant, but it was too late to gripe now. Star wondered what time it was. It wasn't early, he figured that much. It was seldom when Alex let him stay for longer than he needed. Usually he came into the room and kicked him out, although more politely than that but Star got the point. He guessed that he felt a little sympathetic for the vixen who was snoozing so comfortably on his arm to his neck. He almost felt bad for wanting to wake her up. She looked so peaceful. But, he had somewhere to be, and if the guild wasn't worried then, they should be now. They don't even have anyone to do the morning rally!

Star nudged Scarlet to try and wake her up, but she only rolled over on her other side in retaliation. Star noticed a carefully woven bandage on her arm, a bit dirty, but it seemed to get the job done. She also wasn't as dirty and overall banged up as before. He grinned. For a spooky ghost, Imani sure was selfless. Scarlet clearly didn't want to get up just yet, so the fire Pokémon managed to get his leg out from under her and carry her to his bag, placing her snugly inside. How she didn't wake up was beyond him. Now that he thought about it, he wasn't as dirty or damage either. He still was sore, but sore was better than most. The hellhound doubted that Imani helped him too but sometimes Pokémon may surprise you. He smiled and left the rest of the berries in his bag on the mattress, or what was left of them; it was the thought that counted. He creaked open the door and stealthy stepped out. He could hear Alex and Imani talking in the other room. Star always avoided conversations when they were together, he always felt like the third wheel in the situation, but then again, he was using their home as a makeshift hotel so it seemed only fair. He managed to creep down the stairs and out of the house, to continue his trek back to town which wasn't far away, and this time, he meant it.

Scarlet was still fast asleep in Star's bag. It seemed like she was sleeping in a big warm blanket as the sun beamed over Star's head. Honestly, he liked the night better. At least he wasn't too far away now, just a turn here and a turn there and he would be back in the welcoming town of Presidium, hopefully not running into any guild members. He didn't want to deal with them just yet. After a quick shortcut through some brush, Star was home.

Presidium was a fairly populated village, maybe housing about 500 Pokémon, including the guild, which made up a good fraction of the population. The guild rested at the farthest north location from the entrance, and stood next to a large oak tree that housed most of the members in its hollow shell. But the tree wasn't the entirety of the guild. Most other services were in underground rooms like the medical bay and the kitchen. Star was glad to see it again, but it wasn't his target. He was headed to his house. Other than the guild at the north end of the town, at the east end was a small nature sanctuary, promptly known as the Forever Glades. Nothing special there; at least to Star it wasn't. Only a clear lake with a cool refreshing waterfall that supplies the town with water to drink and use for crops. It should be used, considering that around the pond grew rare and fragile plant life, which only grow under specific conditions. Most Pokémon treated the water as a gift from Arceus himself, as if it had magical properties. Arguably it is, since the foundation of Presidium was based around the Forever Glades on their discovery. Star thought that they were full of themselves and that the water tasted the same as any other water he had drank in the past.

On the opposite ends of the town, the south side, were the exits that led to dungeons or other towns, the more important one being Thousand Oceans. A beach resort that was a fair distance away from Presidium. It was a tourist trap, luring anyone in with beautiful white sand beaches and deep blue oceans only to take all your money away with cheaply made souvenirs and mementos.

And in the middle of it all, was the main town. Most of the buildings were made of sandstone. Some citizens of the town considered taking down the old sandstone constructs and replacing them with something more modern, but they scrapped the idea considering most of the buildings were occupied with Pokémon from every type and region. Some Pokémon paint their buildings bright, beautiful colors to catch attention since most buildings were shops and stores. Not one store sold everything, most specializing in one certain thing like clothing or produce. For a tourist, it would be difficult trying to find what you wanted, getting lost in the maze of sandstone structures, but most learn to live with it and only go to one or two stores at max.

Star walked past the bustling crowd in the main walkway that broke through these stores. The middle of the town was split, separating the shops from the homes. The homes were in a climate of its own covered by trees mostly so the houses were much more flexible than the normal sandstone. Something poked his ribs and he turned to see Scarlet poking her head out with her fur disheveled. He gave a little smile and grinned.

"Morning sunshine. Sleep well?" he said loud enough to be heard over the countless conversations going on at the same time around them. She let out a yawn and gave him a look that shut him up. "Alright, I'll take you somewhere quieter. Try to bear with me."

She scuttled back into her pouch and moved around inside before resting. Star let out a sigh and made his way to the west part of the town. The west part promptly named the Exodus Quarter, where the houses were located. Star guessed that it was named such because around dusk all the shopkeepers and townsfolk seemed to leave at the same time toward their own respective houses. It was a little ways out of the town and in its own area, almost the same size, possibly bigger, as the town itself to accommodate for 500 souls. It had to be huge, the houses couldn't be tightly packed together, and they weren't made of stone like their counterparts over in the shops. Each home was made differently to support certain Pokémons individual needs, like a Bulbasaur's house would probably be more floral and grassy compared to a Squirtle's house. Each were of varying sizes and shapes, some as tiny as a small room, and some as huge as the three story shops in the shopping center. At least it was more organized than the main town; a linear path which lead to individual columns left and right which then kept roughly five to ten houses depending on size. Simple and easy to find. Just count the columns as you walk down the path until you get to your road. Star was headed to his house, though, which was near the back of the quarter. The back was reserved for the more wealthier Pokémon of Presidium, and in turn, provided better housing and more space. It was a long walk, but that was the price you had to pay for being rich. Star didn't even technically buy the house, it was a gift when he first got promoted to "Guildmaster's Assistant". Because of its distance away from the guild, and the fact he spent most his time at the guild in the first place, resulted in him seldom using the house. A shame really, it probably cost a fortune to make too.

Star reached the end of the road and took a left, the farthest one all the way in the back. A short walk later, and he was there, facing the house. It was a two floor bungalow made of dark ash wood. It was thin, and had a flat roof with a chimney leading out from the back. It was fenced off, and took up a large chunk of land too, probably enough to fit three more houses inside. The soil was 'taken from the foot of a real volcano' they said. Star was never good at catching liars but at least it was fertile, and he grew his own berries as a result. the house had no windows, only one skylight on the roof of his house. He preferred the dark anyways, even though his mother had always told him that it would ruin his vision. Too late now. He just hoped Scarlet felt the same way.

He reached for the gate when he felt a cold shiver, causing him to take a cautious look behind him. He turned around but only saw a dense thicket in front of him. He shrugged and turned around to see a Sableye inches away from his face. After a shriek and a jump backwards, Star calmed himself and spoke. "Oh...it's only you, Nefi. I told you not to sneak up on me like that!"

Nefi was slouching against his gate with his trademark pitch black sunglasses on. "Well maybe you should tell me when you are in town again and I won't have to scare you," he remarked back in a sinister voice. Nefi and Star were technically best friends. They used to run a thieving circle a few years back. The main members were Nefi, an Absol named Marshal, and of course, Star. They stole for years and were on the outlaw board on every guild, their bounty slowly rising and rising. That was until a heist caused the trio to be arrested, and informally be disbanded for good. That heist, was the Nero's Guild Treasury. At some odd turn of events, Star managed to get amnesty for his crimes by doing some personal jobs for, and sometimes with, Nero himself. He grew to like him and the rest is history. During the time, though, he managed to get Nefi out of jail, but not under Nero's consent, so Star has been keeping the thief under the radar for safety sake. Still, every now and again, someone's ring or necklace would be stolen, and only Star knew who it was.

"Yeah well, I've had a lot on my mind lately," he retorted as he pushed the ghost out of the way and entered his property. Nefi scowled and disappeared from thin air and reappeared on Star's porch.

"Like what, the fact that a certain someone got caught in a fire not too long ago?" he said almost insultingly. Star stopped, like Nefi predicted.

"Don't know what you are talking about," he said blankly.

"Oh please, spare me the excuses," the ghost retorted. "Your all cut up, you smell like ashes, and you have that look in your eyes. I know what happened." The explorer gulped and shuddered in place for a bit. "And I know about that Zorua in your pouch there," he continued. Star let out a growl and stomped up to him.

"Shut. Up. I don't want to wake her right now. She doesn't need to hear this." he said, soft but cold. It was rare when Star got angry, almost as uncommon as his house being used. Nefi held his hands up in defeat, but the Houndoom could never tell what the thief was thinking. Those stupid glasses of his always getting in the way, and even if they weren't there, he had gems for eyes, so not much progress there either.

"Whatever man, but you and I both know that you aren't the 'child caring' type." Star waved Nefi off and he vanished again. It's times like this that Star regrets being so open with the thief in the past. Now the Sableye uses these things as leverage to get things from the Houndoom, knowing all too well that it gets under his skin whenever he mentions anything. Still, it was sparse that Nefi used the more important accidents that Star had been involved in, and it usually never ended well for either of them.

"What a prick..."


	4. Chapter 4: The Guild

Star took a second to gather his bearings and remove the knot in his chest before pushing open the front door into the house. He took a deep breath of air, the place still smelt as fresh as when it was first built. Star took Scarlet carefully out of the bag and put her on a comfortable rocking chair to let her sleep some more. He sat in a chair next to Scarlet's, and stretched in the dimly lit house. It always had confused him why they put sets of furniture in, it wasn't like the wary fire-type was going to be inviting anyone anytime soon. Guess it came in handy now that he had a guest.

The house was two stories, but that didn't make it very large. The building was, as stated before, slim. Star was grateful that they at least got one thing right, walking around in a large empty home is a depressing thought of its own. The bottom floor had a small area for sitting and relaxing, a small coffee table surrounded by comfortable, custom made chairs and sofas with the fireplace not to far away. There were several shelves and display cases stocked with treasure and gems that Star has collected over the years, mainly just little mementos from the more memorable explorations hes has been on. The other half of the ground floor was a small kitchen, some drawers for utensils and a iron stove, still filled with coals. Baskets filled to the brim with berries of varying sorts were stacked in the corner whenever Star felt like experimenting with cooking, perhaps trying a new recipe. Pots and pans hung from a holder above the stove, and were starting to collect dust. There was a door that led to a small bathroom as well. The Exodus Quarter had an elaborate sewer system set up under each of the houses, but in reality, all it was was a hole in the ground with running water to carry anyone's business into a dump site. Better than nothing. There also was a wooden bathtub that looked almost seemingly untouched.

Back to the ground floor, there was a ladder that led up to the second floor, which was surrounded by a small catwalk in the shape of a square, a large empty space in the center to see down to the ground floor, almost like a balcony of sorts. The empty space was for the skylight on the roof, which projected any sunlight shining through like a spectral column in the perfect shape of a square, fitting seamlessly through the empty catwalk space, and onto a tiny patch of grass that was on the ground floor, where a couple of flowers bloomed. There were two rooms up there, Star's room, and his office. His bedroom was simple: dark with a nightstand and a simple hammock for him to rest in. There were knickknacks and other small things in there, some cushions to sit on, a lamp or two (not like he used them) but not much else. His office was across the bedroom and was fitted with a fancy polished desk and an imported rug from some town Star couldn't pronounce. There was a chest in the back, but it was mostly used to store any precious documents, and a fancy red couch to the right. This house was as ornate as it got, but Star didn't care, it sort of helped him clear his mind.

That serenity was soon broken as a tiny yawn was heard from the Houndoom's right. Scarlet was laying down stretching her body and rubbing her eyes. She blinked a few times before looking up at Star with a welcoming smile. He returned the grin and sat back in the chair, adjusting his sash.

"Finally awake?" he teased as she groomed her tuft.

She nodded and giggled. "Best sleep I've had in a while!"

Star chuckled and hopped off his seat. "Well, you must be hungry, I'll fix you up something."

Scarlet took a look around the place in awe and hopped around on the furniture. Star didn't mind, she was small enough to not cause any damage to anything, he hoped. She peered at the shelves with relics and statues of many designs. Gems in a rainbow of colors shining in her eyes. Carvings and artwork in a plethora of styles. She was very fascinated at these, but eventually the thing that caught her attention the most was the small flowers growing in the middle of the room. Star brought back a bowl of assorted berries and put them on the table, observing the playful vixen as she bopped the bud of the flower. Her wriggling her nose as pollen sprinkled over her petite face. Even the adorable sneeze she gave out causing her to sit down rubbing her nose. She gave a curious look to Star and the fruit as she got back to her paws.

"What are those for?" Star mentally sighed. She hasn't been paying attention to a word he said.

"Well, you must be hungry, it was a long trip so I made a little snack." She smiled and took one, sitting on the table and chewing it. Star watched her eat in an awkward silence. The vixen moved uneasily in her spot as the hellhound peered at her.

"How's your arm?" he asked to break the tension.

She raised an eyebrow and looked at where her gash was, but was surprised to see a carefully wrapped bandage in its place. "Oh! Did you do this?" she asked, wagging her bushy tail.

Star nodded no. "I had a friend fix you up, least I could do."

She gave him a questioning look again. "But why?"

Star looked around playfully, as if he were giving away top secret information. "Well...if you must know, I'm going to make you an...explorer," he grinned, putting emphasis on the last word.

She let out a gasp and her eyes shimmered. "Really? You think I can do it?" she asked.

"I told you earlier, you have an explorer's spirit, now follow me, I want to see what you can do." She finished her berry and hopped off following her new protector.

As Star opened the door to the backyard, a cold zephyr blew through his shaggy fur, and his sash as well, ushering a shudder from the Zorua. Star walked out to a fairly open area and stood firmly in the soft soil.

"So, what am I doing exactly?" she asked sitting obediently in front of him.

"Simple, hit me with whatever you got." The request seemed foreign to her. She knew how to attack and all, but someone willingly asking to be hit was sort of unnerving.

Nonetheless, she fidgeted in her spot before assuming an attack position, "O-Okay!"

Star grinned, "Just because I'm your friend doesn't mean you should hold back, don't worry, I can take it!"

The Zorua gave a little nod and closed its eyes, and with a battle cry, started to glow. Suddenly, he was surrounded by ten copies of the vixen in front of her. 'Double Team...' he thought as he looked around. Suddenly half came at him with their claws drawn, glowing a faint aura. 'Shadow Claw...' He expertly dodged all the attacks but was surprised to find four more Zorua's vanish and reappear ready to attack as well. 'Feint Attack...' He managed to avoid the hits but left him wobbling for balance. The ground beneath him buckled as one more Zorua burst from the ground and hit him under the chin with a headbutt knocking him on his haunches. He rubbed his chin and sat up as the copies disappeared back to the original. He gave a nod and smiled.

"Nice hit, I wasn't expecting that Dig in the slightest...you will make a fine explorer..." He got up and patted her on the head, and there she gave the widest grin Star had seen her give.

It had been about a week since Star had gotten back into town. He had spent the entirety of his time tending to Scarlet, giving her a warm bed to sleep in, healthy food to eat, and most importantly, giving her some basic training. The training was rough, only because the normal training is roughly three times as long so Star had to get through the basics as fast as he could. Thankfully, Scarlet was a swift learner. He had expected her to be resentful and perhaps even a bit cold toward the intense training she had to go through for hours at a day, but she seemed more excited than anything. It looked like she really wanted to be an explorer. Was Star that much of an influence on her? At least it was a win-win situation for him: taking care of the vixen was a way of forgiving himself for his past deeds, and a new recruit was always welcomed at the guild. Maybe he could use her as leverage when he decided to go back so he wouldn't be knee deep in trouble. But there still was the main problem. He knew that the Zorua's parents were likely dead, but how is he going to break that news to her? It's too late now to tell her, much too late. He thought about it a couple times, making up elaborate stories and comforting her to keep her all to himself. It did sound very selfish and he knew that, but what else could he do?

"Hey Uncle Star!" Star was on the porch of his house with Scarlet on his back. '"Uncle Star" was the nickname she gave him a while back. He didn't know when she started using it but he never corrected her so she kept using it. It was cute in its own way.

"Yes Scarlet?" he replied.

"I just wanted to see if you were awake, you kept standing here for a few minutes after you said you would let me join your guild!" she said, pumped full of energy. She was bouncing on Star for minutes trying to wake him up to take her there when he said he would, but had to keep sending her to bed because it was still midnight and she wouldn't sleep.

"I know, just thinking about something."

She growled. "Well stop thinking, and lets get going!"

After a lengthy walk, Star had reached the guild. It was much quieter and peaceful in the mornings, the shopkeepers were still busy setting up shop and most townsfolk were asleep. At least there were no crowds. Star had reached the guild, which had a large golden door with a red crescent over the top embedded into the old oak tree. The guild didn't wake up for another hour so he could tell Nero what happened and introduce Scarlet to him as well. He reached into his bag and pulled out an engraved key and slid it into the keyhole. A loud 'ca-chunk' was heard and the door crept open. Star hoped that no one woke up because of that. The hollowed out tree trunk had no pokemon inside of it. The walls had many boards with different jobs and assignments for anyone to pick up with a spiraling staircase leading downwards underground. Star crept down the stairs past the bedrooms and down to the lowest floor where the kitchen, medical rooms, and offices were. Star froze as he saw Nero tapping his foot with his arms folded looking at the Houndoom with a blank expression.

"It's about time you showed up..." the Weavile said coldly. Nero was the founder of the guild, and therefore, the Guildmaster. He had a heavy accent as he was born from a far away region. After noticing that Presidium hadn't been graced with a guild of its own, he set out to build one from scratch and managed to single handedly make it one of the most prominent guilds in the area.

"Yeah, I know, I had a rough week okay?" Star retorted.

"Care to explain? Where is the outlaw?" he demanded.

"Well..." Star said rubbing the back of his head.

"Hi!" Scarlet said poking her head out from Star's back.

"And who is this?" Nero continued. Star let out a sigh and put Scarlet down on the ground.

"Can you wait in that room?" Star said, pointing to his office.

She nodded and pranced over and into the room. "I can explain this..."

Star was in Nero's office sitting across from him. "Ah...I see," said Nero, who was clacking his claws together as he folded his hands across the table. Star shrugged. He was glad that his position in the guild made it almost impossible to get into trouble. Almost. "You should have come here earlier and explained yourself. We were about to send in a rescue team for you."

Star slouched, "I know I know, but Scarlet is worth it, I can see it in her."

Nero closed his eyes. "You have made some regretful decisions in the past, how can I be so sure that this isn't one of them?"

Star thought for a minute, his pointed tail swinging idly out of the chair. "I know, next job with Ace and Tara, send her with them."

Nero chuckled a bit. "You know that Ace and Tara are one of the most experienced teams and only get sent on S-Ranked or higher missions right? I want you to prove her worth, not kill her."

Star huffed. "I have full faith in her, and she's not even part of the guild yet, so you aren't responsible." Nero clacked his claws on his desk and waited for a moment.

"Hmm...ok, if she comes back from the next mission, she can join." Star mentally jumped for joy but on the outside, he did a little bow and left the room without another word. "Oh, and wake up the guild and give them their missions!" Nero called from the room. Star let out a relieved sigh, everything went better than expected.

Scarlet was standing in front of him as Star's office was right across from Nero's. "So? How'd it go with the scary man?" she asked.

"He's not that bad, it's just in the morning. He's a real nice guy once you get to know him," he said picking her up and walking back upstairs. "He said that if you came back on a mission, then he would let you join."

She beamed, "Really? Oh this is going to be so-" Star cleared his throat cutting her off. "But it's very dangerous, I'm teaming you with my star pupils for this one, are you sure you still want to do this?" he asked.

She nodded as Star got to the bedroom floor. "Of course, why would I say no?"

He smiled and went to a rope that was hanging from the side of the wall. "What's that?" Scarlet asked.

"This, is the thing you will hate the most about this guild," the Houndoom said as he tugged on it with his mouth. As he pulled the rope, loud bells could be heard from each individual room along with a collective wave of groans and moans. "Come on! Wake up! I'm back so you got jobs to do!" Star yelled down the long corredor. Scarlet was holding her ears down from the clattering of bells echoing throughout the long hallway. "Get off your butts and pick out a job from the bulletin board upstairs. You have 15 minutes to eat, so move it!" Star yelled at the passing, groggy pokemon sluggishly dragging their way to either the mess hall, or upstairs for a job to pick out. Scarlet cautiously let go of her ears watching a line of pokemon leave the halls.

"Wow, theres a lot of pokemon here...you are scary too if you try Uncle Star," she teased.

He playfully snarled back at her and sighed. "It's my job to be, if I wasn't these guys wouldn't get out of bed."

The line kept moving and moving until Star held out his paw at the pokemon at the end, a Riolu and a Shinx. The Shinx rubbed her eyes and looked up at the Houndoom and gave him a tired, but questioning gaze. "Can we help you?" she asked.

"I have a special job for you two, get ready and meet me in my office."


	5. Chapter 5: The Mission

"I'm sending you two to the Oasis Isles. We have had reports of some treasures hidden there, and we need you two to investigate," Star said pointing to a large map on his wall beside his desk. "If you find nothing by sunset, return back and give me your report." Star was glad that he had the liberty to give the jobs out to the teams. Nero never said which S-Rank job to give them, and this job had the potential to be one of the easiest there is.

The duo sat stonewalled on Star's expensive chairs listening to Star and his directions. Scarlet was fiddling around with her tail, not paying much attention at all. The Riolu was Ace, wearing a black bandana around his neck and a spiked collar at the base of his tail with a matching band around his left paw. The Shinx was Tara, an approachable female with a cute charm around her neck with a purple stone at the end that matched the tips of her spiky hairdo, along with a silk ribbon around her left paw as if it were hiding something.

"And, you have one caveat," he said turning around to bop Scarlet on the head to keep her paying attention. "This is our new recruit, and Nero wants to prove her worth." Scarlet let out a tiny wave and smiled, Tara waving back in a similar fashion as Ace huffed a bit. "This is Scarlet, and she will be heading out with you on this exploration," Star said ruffling her tuft. Ace raised an eyebrow, peering with his burnt orange eyes. Ace was a bit interested on Star's treatment to the new recruit. Normally Star was not very welcoming to anyone new, and usually stuck them with a team that had a similar skill level as them, but he jumped straight to them and stuck them with an inexperienced fox? That was thought suspicious on its own. Maybe Star had some sort of relationship that Ace hadn't realized with the vixen.

"Any more questions?" Star asked as Tara began to set up her own explorer bag. "Well, best be heading off as soon as you can, Oasis Isles are quite a walk," he said whispering something into Scarlet's ear afterward as she nodded and hopped out of the room.

When she was out of earshot, Star leaned in close to Team Somber. He spoke in a cold and very threatening tone."If that Zorua doesn't come back to this guild by sunset, you better think twice about coming back too." Both let out a synchronized gulp and nodded. Star opened the door wide to let them through and they left in a hurry. Scarlet was conversing with some other lower level recruits as Tara tapped her on the shoulder. They talked for a bit before they all started to head out, Scarlet leading the way. They left the guild and headed out to the south gate.

Ace nudged Tara and mumbled to her. "So, you as suspicious about this girl as I am?"

Tara gave him an odd look and mumbled back. "Why should I be? She seems nice."

"How do you explain what happened earlier? Star petting her, and that death threat. I think Star and Scarlet have something going on," he said.

"Well why don't you ask her?" she said flatly. Ace scrunched his face and grumbled and continued to walk in silence to the location. It was still early in the morning so they had plenty of time to get there and search until sunset. Maybe Star's threat was unneeded after all.

It was a silent and awkward trip to the Oasis Isles. Scarlet and Tara made some small talk but Ace kept his distance, trying to figure out what her deal was. He was stubborn no doubt, and when something peaks his interests, he tends to figure it out. Tara never really paid any mind to these sort of things. In truth, she really enjoyed the new partner, talking to Ace gets mundane after a while. At least she got some information on her personality from her talks. Scarlet hadn't mentioned much, but she sure had a lot to say about them. Her stories were captivating for the most part, so Tara was never really annoyed. She was only worried about Ace. He took everything seriously, especially the missions and jobs. She had a hunch these two would be at each others necks.

Around noon, the trail that the trio had been traveling on slowly turned to sand, and the path branched into a wide array of directions. After a brief look at the map, They headed down the path furthest to the left and picked up where they left off. As the sun beat down on the dry terrain, Tara and Ace kept hardened faces as beads of sweat dripped down their faces. Scarlet wasn't used to this heat, and was panting and sweating in only a few minutes. She never realized how cool and humid the forest really was, and being the one with the most fur on her, she quickly grew fatigued and sluggish. Ace raised an eyebrow at her, huffing as he kept his pace. He knew she wasn't cut out for this. The good news was that Oasis Isles weren't very far from the path they took, and, as the name confirms, had many prosperous oasis' to enjoy. Or one, really large oasis in fact. It was about the size of a small town and was dotted with mini islands and plant life in the middle. Some stereotypical palm trees fenced the crystal blue water as well. Many pokemon are surprised that the place isn't as well known as it should be. They assume that they don't want to talk all the way in the desert to see it. Their loss. At least it made sense that there could be treasure hidden in these dunes, it was in a place that on one visited very often, but yet, also in plain sight. The trio gazed upon the amazing sight, Ace giving a weak smile, Tara 'ooh'ing at the serenity, and Scarlet's eyes sparkling like the sparkling water. Before Ace could speak, Scarlet and Tara jumped into the water, the heat from the sun soon leaving their now matted fur as they swam in delight. They both rose for air and splashed each other, laughing. Ace tried to get their attention, clearing his throat, even calling their names as they played, but he never got a response. He sighed and shrugged. If you cant beat them, join them.

After a good hour of "searching" The three were resting on one of the islands in the middle of the pool. Scarlet took the liberty to pick some berries off the branches of one of the palm trees, and left a hearty pile at the feet of the trio as they munched. Ace was seated next to Scarlet as Tara walked away to dip her paws into the lake once more. Ace fiddled with his paws for a bit before turning to Scarlet.

"So...Scarlet, why exactly did you join the guild?" he asked, hoping not to sound rude.

"Well Uncle Star said I could of course!" she beamed, popping a berry into her mouth.

"Uncle Star?"

Scarlet waited until she swallowed her food, Star said it was polite or something of the sort. "Yeah, I gave him a nickname, I could give you one too if you want," she said, tapping her chin thinking of something.

"Erm...thats not what I meant. I meant why?" Ace asked.

"Well, its because he takes care of me, and he's my friend. Why should I not give my friends nicknames?"

Ace raised an eyebrow again, and pushed another question. "Takes care of you? What do you mean?"

She laid back and smiled. "Well, there was this fire near my home, and it got destroyed. Star found me and brought me to his home and took care of me until he found my parents. He trained me to be an explorer last week!" she said, giggling.

"That explains why he was gone for so long..." Ace mumbled to himself. He wasn't concerned about that though. He tried to remember any fires that happened recently, but the only one that came up was the one at Flaming Dusk. She must have been from there, but there were no survivors from the blaze. He remembered her mentioning her parents. Had she not been given the news? Maybe Star didn't want to tell her, want her to know.

"Well Scarlet...um..." Ace stuttered, flustering over whether he should tell her about the fire. She turned her head toward him and flicked her ear

. "What is it?" she asked. Ace scratched his head awkwardly looking for the right words to say but nothing really came out.

"That fire...you know that-" Ace's sentence was cut off when a large spark of yellow electricity bolted from the other side of the small island. The two got up but were promptly knocked back down as Tara was hurled into them. The group each rose up to look around; they were not alone. Three Kabutops slowly rose from the sand and grinded their claws together menacingly. The three each took a fighting stance, covering each others backs as the fossil-pokemon inched towards them. Suddenly, they all stopped and slashed at the ground, Ace, Tara, and Scarlet gave their own quizzical look until the ground underneath them collapsed and they fell in a flurry of sand into the pit that had formed. They could hear the laughter of their assailants fade away as they fell and fell. Guess Star won't be needing to kick them out himself.

Team Somber slowly rose out of the water, coughing and clutching their chests. They had hit a deep pool, hard. At least it was better than dying. Scarlet was the last to get out, coughing up water as Tara squeezed the water out of her fur and Ace sighing scouting the area.

"Well...guess all that searching paid off," Tara said. It seemed no matter what the situation, she always found a good time to joke. Scarlet let out a childish giggle as she regained her senses. The area was dim to say the least, the only light coming from the new hole in the ceiling. The walls of the cave were made of soft sandstone, and didn't seem very sturdy. Ace felt like they could collapse any minute, but he was probably just being paranoid.

"Why would they trap us in here instead of taking us on themselves?" Ace thought aloud.

Scarlet sat next to him. "Maybe they recognized you."

Ace stifled a smile, she was giving them more credit than they're worth.

"The kid is not wrong," a voice echoed from turned around and charged an attack as Ace and Scarlet ran up for a better view. A Bisharp slowly trotted out from the shadows across from the pond where the team were situated. Scarlet let out a high pitched growl and stood in an attacking stance as Ace walked a few paces up.

"Who are you?" he asked. Tara squinted, she felt like she should know him.

After a moment of thought, it hit her. "Ace, watch out! He's a fugitive, he's dangerous!" The Shinx remembered all those town meetings where a certain Bisharp was brought up time and time again. Looks like they found him.

"How long have you been hiding here?" Tara asked before Ace could step back a bit.

"That's none of your concern, runt," quickly retorted the Bisharp. "What matters now is that you know too much and must be taken care of."

Ace wanted to go on a rant about how it wasn't even their fault that they got stuck in the situation, but he didn't want to rile them up enough than they already have been. At least Ace had the type advantage, a couple Force Palms and he would be as good as gone. He wasn't sure how to use Scarlet though. He could usually tell Tara to do some sort of distraction or use a move that works just as well, but he had no idea of the vixen's skills. Looks like he had to wing it; he shuddered at the thought. He stared down his opponent but he soon vanished. Ace let out a gasp and began to charge up a Force Palm, Tara a Fire Fang. Scarlet gulped and shuddered. She had never been in a real fight before, only spars with Star, and he went easy on her. She began to shiver, her legs buckling a bit. She almost wanted to sneak off into the shadows and watch, but she couldn't. Star was counting on her to do this mission, she had to do it for him. She swallowed her pride and used Double Team, placing a Zorua at both of her teammates. Ace looked around cautiously, he knew he was close. Just then, the Bisharp uppercutted him into the air and punched him a good distance away from his group. Tara jumped and unleashed her Fire Fang onto the steel-pokemon's shoulder, landing a direct hit, but not phasing him much. He threw her off and hit her with a Night Slash, knocking her back a distance as well as giving her a decent cut along her side. The Zorua clones both hopped at him with Shadow Claws. They wouldn't do much, but she had an idea. The Bisharp smashed one of the clones with a hefty kick as the other one grazed his face. He grabbed that one and threw it into the water. Ace flanked him from behind with a charged Force Palm with Tara not to far behind with another Fire Fang. The Bisharp scraped his arms together, as waves of grey sound smashed into their ears. Metal Sound: It sounded like nails on a chalkboard, or metal scraping together. Ace and Tara cringed and fell to their knees, holding their ears and negating their attacks. The Bisharp slowly walked over and grabbed Ace by the throat, his free arm forming into a sharper and shinier blade. Ace gulped, and tried to release his grip on him. The last thing he wanted to be hit with was that Guillotine. Ace began to charge up another Force Palm to try to hit him, hoping that he would let go. The Bisharp saw this and swung his arm. Ace closed his eyes and braced for impact. A few seconds passed, nothing had hit him. He opened his eyes and gasped again. He saw Scarlet, covered in dirt and sand, headbutting the Bisharp in the chin. The Bisharp had his eyes clenched as he attempted to keep his ground, but failed and stumbled back, dropping Ace with a thud, and falling into the pool in the center of the room. Ace panted for a second, taking a knee to catch his breath. Scarlet was standing there, panting with a grin that stretched from cheek to cheek. Her first fight, her first mission, her first outlaw. She was going to savor this moment, at least until the adrenaline wore off. Maybe Ace was wrong about her, perhaps Star owes an apology as well.

~~~

Star wasn't entirely sure how the three managed to bring the outlaw all the way back to Presidium before dinner time; Steel-types were notoriously heavy, and Team Somber wasn't exactly champions of heavy-lifting. Nevertheless, they managed to bring back a wanted outlaw, and the cash reward was never a bad thing. The only other pokemon that was more surprised to see them come back was Nero. He had faith in Ace and Tara sure, but Scarlet? He always had bets like this with Star, and it was very seldom that he lost in one, and the look on his face was priceless. Perhaps Nero owes him an apology. After gloating about it for a while, Nero went through the entire graduation ceremony just for her. All the guild stood and watched as she was rewarded her own explorer badge. But that wasn't really what he cared about. It was obvious now that he only wanted Scarlet to be happy, and happy she was. She smiled the entire ceremony, and had a grin that could warm the hearts of anyone that gazed upon the petite vixen. She couldn't stop bouncing around his office telling the Houndoom all about the adventure, even the boring parts. Ace hoped that she wouldn't blurt out anything about goofing off in the oasis though, he had a perfect record to maintain. Star listened and listened to every word she said, every detail and gesture. He felt warm, he felt happy. He felt like he actually did something good in his life for once. He tightened the scarf around his neck and pulled in the fox for a hug.

"Welcome to the guild."

After that, Scarlet's fate was sealed as a permanent member of Team Somber, and hopefully for many years to come. Every day, she was sent out with Ace and Tara on new missions from the depths of the sea, to glaciers high and mighty. Star was still concerned about her coming back, he always worried for her when she was gone. He felt like more than a guardian. He felt like a parent, it felt good in fact. He was glad that he had someone to worry for, to care for. He would even go as far to say that he loved her just as any parent would. And it felt just as good to know that someone is feeling the same for him. Seeing her bouncing around the gild after another successful mission always lifted his spirits, and the talks they had of said missions before she left for bed never seemed to bore him. Everyone loved the charismatic little fox. The guild, the town, everyone knew who she was. A long winded story on how great her explorations were going was as modest as she got. And Star never seemed to mind one bit. Time passed. The guild kept to its normal duties, never stopping. Scarlet and Team Somber continued to grow in the ranks of the guild. More difficult missions being set up for them, Star-rank missions (not named after Star of course; he wasn't that vain). Two, three, even four star missions being swept away by the trio. They seemed unstoppable, and they showed it too. Scarlet became more grizzled, noticeably more bigger than when she started. That never stopped anyone from being friendly with her though, maybe it was her soft pink eyes, not that it matters. Nero was especially enjoying the massive cash flow they were towing in each week. The guild's treasury was increased by 30% in the first month alone! Star knew she would make a fine explorer. She knew this too. At first, she asked many questions, usually asking Star if he found her family yet or not. After two weeks or so, she just stopped asking. Star thought either she found out the truth, or just flat out forgot about it. He was hoping the latter. Maybe all the exploring pushed her old memories deep into her subconscious, and repressed them for good. It sounded cruel, but it was for her own good. For once, everything was great for the veteran explorer. It always was something that was keeping him down, whether it be: paperwork, a job he did, internal problems in the guild, or the fact that he had a long day. For the first time, longer than Star could remember, he could finally sit back, and relax for a bit. Just a bit.


	6. Chapter 6: The Truth

A year had gone by, and the cycle had continued for the entire period. Scarlet never lost her happy demeanor, and it was time for her daily talk with Star. She creaked open the door to his office, a cold gust grazing her sides. Winter was nearing its end, but that doesn't mean it wasn't going to leave without a fight. It was snowing outside, and the sun was setting over the horizon, sending a amber beam through the window.

Star looked up from his journal and smiled."Hey sweetie, how was the mission?" he asked, softly closing his diary.

She walked around and hopped on her usual spot, which was usually on the corner of his desk. Star had noticed she usually sat there every day, and bought a cushion just for her a few months back. "It went great! Another escort done, and the client even gave me a present!" she said, showing off her neck where a vibrant red and white scarf was idly placed.

"Now I can be just like you Uncle Star!" The Houndoom let out a hearty laugh and ruffled her tuft, making her giggle in return.

"Sure kiddo, just like Uncle Star." Star put away his journal in one of the drawers in the desk and sighed. Something echoed in his head. "...just like you..." It kept ringing around his mind. The fire, the guild, the success she had. She was becoming just like him, and he didn't know what to feel about that.

"Good thing I met you after that fire, of I would have never had the chance to be an explorer." Her voice snapped him from his daze as she walked over and kindly rubbed against him affectionately. The hellhound smiled back, and gave her a little thank you kiss on the forehead before she giggled and sat back on her pillow. She stopped talking for a second and stared at him. It was unnerving to say the least, Scarlet never kept quiet this long. "You know what? I just noticed something," she said softly. Star raised an eyebrow and looked at her quizzically. "You never told me where you got your scarf Uncle Star!" she smiled, pointing to it.

Star lowered his gaze and rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, its a difficult subject..." he started.

"Aww come on, I told you where I got mine, its only fair you tell me where you got yours!" He wished it was that simple. Star thought about it for a while. He had kept this story to himself for more than ten years. Maybe he needed to let it out, it could only do harm if kept to himself any longer.

"...alright," he said quietly.

~~~

"Come on Star! You aren't going to get your present if you run like that!" said a Vulpix, a bow one one of her many tails.

"I'm running as fast as I can Mia!" the Houndour huffed, pushing over bushes and trying to cut through the dense forest to where her voice was. Mia was always surprising Star in one way or another. It could be a new game she made up, or something cool she found. Star didn't care though, he just loved being with her. He may have been young, and naive, but he knew there was something special about her. The way she pranced through the thicket. Her smooth straight fur. Or maybe her baby-blue eyes. All these things could have been, but Houndour didn't care. She was the only other pokemon to talk to him in Shettle forest. He was nothing special, just a plain, black and orange Houndour, and a timid one at that. No discerning features, no attractive qualities or traits. It's not entirely his fault though. Ever since he was born into the forest, the other pokemon shunned him. Most residents were bug and grass types and were more afraid of the pup than anything. Everyone knew of the dangers that fire could bring, and he was always being watched. If any hint of fire was detected, it would be promptly put out. It didn't help though. Even if they watched him, they did nothing to stop any thugs or bullies from roughing him up, knowing that he could do nothing about it. His mother did her best to comfort him, but word's were never enough. She sometimes wished that Star was born a Poochyena instead of a Houndour like his father, but she kept assuring herself that her son was fine the way he was.

Star pushed his way past another set of bushes into a clearing, where a serene pond rested. Mia was already moving around a rock, digging something from the ground and hiding it behind her back. The Houndour raised an eyebrow and slowly approached his friend.

"So, what's the surprise?" he asked.

"Guess," said Mia. Star let out an annoyed growl. It could be anything behind her back, probably just a bucket of water to splash into his face. As if he were going to fall for that one again.

"I honestly have no idea," Star simply said.

Mia huffed and puffed her cheeks. "Oh, you are no fun Star!"

"But it doesn't matter, cause I got you this!" She held out her paws and folded in them was a red and orange sash. Star looked at it for a second, not knowing what it was.

"Erm...what is it?" he asked. "Its a sash silly, look." Mia unraveled the fabric, it being much larger than when it was folded. Star lowered his ears a bit as she moved around his body, and finally wrapping the clothing around his neck. It was big on him, and it puffed out.

She giggled. "You will grow into it," she said moving him into the pond so he could see his reflection. He turned his head, looking at himself at all angles. Star let out a faint smile and turned to Mia, a small blush on his face.

"I love it," he said quietly as she nodded in response.

"Well, I think it would look better if you were being choked on it, fire mutt."

Star and Mia both shuddered and quickly turned toward two emerging figures from the brambles.

Star growled and put Mia behind him. "What do you two want!"

A Breloom and a Scyther both laughed as they kept walking toward them. "We want you out of our forest you horrid freak of nature, destroying everything you touch," spat the Breloom. His name was Lee, and his partner's name was Stryker. They were the lowest of the low, always tormenting on Star, just for being a fire-type. It seemed like everywhere he went, they knew where he was. Star wished he could tell someone about them, and even if he did, it's not like they would do anything. Star and Mia stepped back and shuddered.

"What's the matter? Scared of a little blade like this?" teased Stryker, shining his claws at them. Star stayed quiet and was backed up against a tree.

"He asked you a question, mutt," growled Lee. The Houndour risked a glance back at Mia. She was covering her eyes and trembling badly; she was obviously scared. Star looked back at the two assailants who were inches away from him. "Aren't you going to answer?!" yelled the Breloom again.

Before Star could attempt an answer, Lee threw a Mach Punch that hit him square on the nose, knocking him out of the way. Lee went to Star and Stryker grabbed the terrified Mia off the ground. Lee kicked the pup in the ribs over and over, throwing Mach Punches every so often for good measure. All Star could do was whimper and endure it, hoping they could finish him off and leave. Lee stopped and stepped on the Houndour's neck.

"What's the matter? We are just some grass types, no problem for a big bad fire-type like you," he grimaced, stepping on him harder. Something was wrong. He was used to these beatings, but they were never this severe. No, they were out to kill today, and Mia was their victim too. Star opened one of his eyes and saw Mia pinned to the tree trunk, one of Strykers claws poking at her soft underbelly.

"P-Please..." Star managed to say, barely audible from his throat being crushed.

"Oh? Whats that? I cant hear you," insulted Lee who let go and kicked him again. He rolled and clutched his stomach, coughing heavily as drops of blood spurted from his broken mouth.

"Do-Don't hurt her...let her go..." he pleaded struggling to get up.

"I think he wants us to let the poor girl go," Lee said to Stryker in a teasing tone of voice. Mia was crying, watching Star getting pummeled before her eyes was too much for her. She was too paralyzed by fear to scream for help, and all she could do was cry. Star pleading for her mercy didn't help it at all either. Her sobs became more audible as the Scyther raised his claw to her neck and grazed it, cutting her a little as she bled from a tiny cut on her neck.

Star clenched his paws and gritted his teeth, not looking off the ground. "I said...Let. Her. Go..." Lee laughed menacingly.

"The brat thinks he can boss us around! Come on Stryker, lets finish these scum and get on with our lives." Stryker nodded and pressed his blade up to her soft silky fur. She kept sobbing, knowing that this was the end.

"Star...help..." she managed to say, but so quietly. His ears flicked and he looked up with his deep purple eyes.

"Let. Her. GO!" he screamed as he let out a piercing roar that was followed by a bellowing tower of fire.

Lee and Stryker got spooked and tried to run for it but the sudden fire that was catching all the trees stopped them dead in their tracks. Everywhere they looked was fire as Star flailed uncontrollably as his inferno raged on without any means to an end. The Scyther flew away into the sky and just barely getting over the treetops. Lee's bravado was replaced with utter fear as he tried to reason with Star, but to no avail. He ended up hunkering down behind some rocks and cowering in fear. Mia slowly got up and looked around gasping. The sky was tinted a sinister grey as smoke stacked over the trees. Star was still billowing fire, she had to stop him. She ran over and tackled him from his back but he kept shooting flames.

It was comforting to know how much he cared for her, but this was too much."Star! Star stop please! It's over!" she said, pushing at his back. He couldn't hear her, he was lost in his rage. His entire life, all that built up stress was being unleashed on the forest, and there was a lot of tension that needed to be released. Mia began to sob again. In front of her eyes, she had lost her home, but more importantly, her friend. A crackling sound knocked her out of her sobs as she turned. A large tree was falling toward them. She looked and tried to jump to Star to push him out of the way, but it was too late as it smashed into the ground only inches away from Star. The shockwave dazed him and he clenched his teeth, fire building up in his cheeks. He choked and fell to the ground, coughing directly downwards at his feet. Big mistake. He caught fire as well. Just because he was a fire-type doesn't mean he can't still feel it. He flailed as the fire burnt off his fur, his screams of pain echoing throughout the forest as he stumbled and finally fell into the pond, that was dotted with ash.

Star woke up several minutes later in a cold sweat, his heart beating. He was having a nightmare. Screams of his family, of the forest-folk, of Mia. At least it was over. He sat up but was surprised to see that he was half deep in water. 'Oh no...' thought Star. He looked around. The area was blackened and striped bare with no sign of green anywhere. Not a single soul either, only him.

"Mom! Dad!" he cried out, still sitting in the puddle. No answer. "Mia!? Mia where are you?!" he cried. This had to be a trick. He couldn't have done all this, he didn't even like fighting. He looked down at his reflection. His ear was badly torn, and he was covered in burns, cuts, and bruises, no thanks to Lee. His remaining fur was matted down and covered in soot, and what was left, was somehow dyed a dark blue color. He touched his face, and it stung him. He couldn't fathom it. He, and he alone, killed everything that he had ever known. He looked back down at his reflection, and he saw the sash around his neck, still as new as when he got it. His lip quivered and for the first time, Star cried, his tears falling in droplets into the puddle below him.

~~~

"Fire. It is one of my most powerful weapons. It can save you from the coldest breezes and defend you from harm, fire became my best friend. But then..." The Houndoom was staring down at the floor, choking up a bit, and stuttering. "I watched fire kill my family and my friends in front of my eyes...and I couldn't do anything about it." Star said between sniffles, holding back a sob. He hadn't cried since the first forest fire and he intended to keep it that way, even though it was a difficult task indeed. Scarlet had been regretting asking the question from the start, and had she known that it would turn out the way it did, she probably wouldn't have asked. She was turned away, her signature smile erased from her face as she lowered her head. Star was still struggling to keep his sobs in, choking and sniffling, his head on his desk. Scarlet was stiff, not knowing what to do. She reluctantly turned her head enough to look at her guardian. After a couple awkward seconds, Star sat up and took a deep breath, his eyes slightly bloodshot. She stared at him with a mournful look, she shouldn't had pressed. She was surprised that he even answered her in the first place. Any question that had to do with his past usually was responded with an unintelligible grunt or a shrug followed by an, "I don' know." She thought about it a for a bit. For someone so close, and to be so concealed about their history was a bit suspicious now that she thought about it. He was hiding something, and he just spilt his heart out just for her. "...just like you..." The vixen flicked her ears and squinted a bit at the Houndoom. His sash, the one he got when the fire happened, caught her eye. Scarlet was a smart girl, maybe a bit too smart for her own good considering her age. She closed her eyes and began to think.

'He told me the story because I pressured him with my scarf, but that can't be it. Anything I have asked in the past didn't get me anywhere, even if I bribed, persuaded, or threatened him. Was it something I said? Hmm...' Star was quiet, rubbing his temples carefully with his eyes closed. "...just like you..." rang in her ears again. 'Just like you? Why is this so significant?' She thought back to his story. 'A young, lonely pokemon is the only survivor in a forest fire...' Her eyes shot open and she let out a loud gasp. How could she had been so blind? Star snapped back into reality and looked towards Scarlet.

"S-Sorry about that...why did you gasp?" he asked, looking just like normal. She turned towards him with a scowl beginning to form. She wasn't even sure her theory was correct, she was going on a whim, but it's better to find the truth now than never.

"You did it," she said firmly. Star blinked and rubbed his head.

"W-What?" Scarlet stood up from her pillow and slowly inched her way across the wooden desk to Star.

"You. You were the one who burned down my forest weren't you." Scarlet's voice was threatening, and it wasn't letting up. Star scooted back in his chair a bit, but kept his forearms on the desk.

"Scarlet, come on, do you know what you're saying?" he replied. The Houndoom's face was blank, and he maintained eye contact. If he remembered anything from his thieving days, it was how to lie. He had to though. The way she was acting, it wouldn't end well if the truth was told, even such a huge lie it was.

The vixen growled and kept coming closer to Star. "Thats why you took me under your wing isn't it!" she said, raising her voice. A bead of sweat dripped down his shaggy fur as he tried to keep calm. "It wasn't because you were feeling generous, or sorry for me!" Star moved closer and his face slowly began to scowl. "It was because you were trying to fix your own horrible mistakes!" Star closed his eyes. He tried to speak, but nothing came out. A lump in his throat kept him from speaking as he listened in dread. She had him all figured out. "Thats all it was! For your own selfish reasons! I can't believe I saw it sooner!" Scarlet kept talking, not giving Star a smidge of a chance to speak. "You didn't even consider telling me that it was you too either _Uncle Star?!_" She said her little nickname to him in a way that felt like he had been struck by knife to the chest.

"Scarlet..." he said softly, his head lowered. He thought back to the day that he took her in, and all the training they did at his home.

"...you and I both know that you aren't the 'child caring' type." Nefi's words rang through his skull as she assaulted him with his mistakes. He knew it was going to come to this one way or another, but not like this.

"And I suppose all that training and hard work to get me into the guild was just another excuse for me to forget my parents, and the fire that you caused!" She was right in front of him now, poking him as hard as she could in his chest. Star's paws slowly clenched tightly as he tried to talk.

"Scarlet..." he said, louder this time. She didn't seem to notice, or care. "Did you honestly think I would never find out? Everything I loved was in that forest, you think I would just forget that? I'm sure you of all pokemon would know the answer to that!" With every hard jab to his chest, he felt his paw clench tighter and tighter. He couldn't stop it, he felt like his chest was going to drag him to the center of the earth.

"Scarlet..." he kept trying, but she wouldn't let up. "My family! My home! All of it gone due to your arrogance!" The foxes eyes were full of hate and anger, and the more Star sat there and took it only made it worse, for her and him. "You heartless." Star could feel his body tremble, it felt dark and possessed.

"Shut up..." he couldn't control his body.

"Selfish." His paw was in a rock hard fist, and quivering in rage.

"Thieving mutt!" she finished.

Star's once blank expression turned into a large, toothy snarl as he clenched his eyes shut. Star seldom got angry, and there was more to it than him just being laid back. He couldn't control his anger, like he was another pokemon. A more, vicious and uncaring pokemon. It was too late now.

"Shut up!" Star roared at the top of his lungs, standing up quickly making Scarlet jump back and cower at the edge of his desk, staring in fear at the angered hellhound. The Houndoom brought his fist down onto the tiny fox, knocking her off the desk and across the room with ease. She landed with a thud, her back to Star as she lay motionless for a second. Star's eyes trembled as he regained control of himself, staring in shock at what he had just done. He lifted his paw to his face, it still stinging from the blow. He turned back, his mouth agape as the fluffy figure slowly shook and rose to its feet. She quivered and slowly turned to Star. Her pale pink eyes staring at him with pure terror, and resentment. She had a gash above her right eye, dripping over her face, and onto the floor.

"S-Scarlet...I-I didn't mean to..." Star tried to say, but it only came out as a barely audible whisper. He moved from his desk and tried to approach her, but she held out a paw in self-defence and thrashed, trying to gain her footing to run away. She managed to do so, and bolted out of the door, and heading towards the stairs outside. Star, still dazed from shock and his burst of anger, tried his best to keep up with her. She was faster of course, being smaller and more nimble than the clumsy Houndoom. "Scarlet! Come back, please!" Star pleaded in between breaths as he ran up the stairs

~~~.

He heard the main door unlock and creek open. He pushed his body to run faster, going up the remainder of the stairs reaching the top after a couple of seconds. The large door was creeked open just enough for her to get through, and Star slowly pushed it open. The moonlight shined across his dark blue fur as he frantically looked around for the vixen. The snow was slowly falling over the town as the Houndoom ran out, and into the town. There were no tracks or footprints in the snow. There were no threads of her fur hanging from trees and brambles. There was no note or piece of clothing. It's like she just dissapeared. Star made it to the center of the town, and skidded to a halt, but the ice made him slip and fall on his stomach. He didn't want to get up, he didn't want to accept the fact that she, no matter what he thought, was gone. He curled up as the snow slowly piled up on his back as he lay in the middle of the plaza. He didn't mind if he caught a sickness, or if he froze to death out here. Nothing really even mattered to him anymore. He spent so much time with Scarlet, all those adventures, the fun and games. He even remembered a surprise birthday party she threw for him a few months back. He had never felt anyone be so welcoming and affectionate towards him before, and he never gave those feelings to much of anyone else either. It's amazing how quickly someone loses faith after such a short amount of time. Star slowly tightened his sash around his neck and tucked his nose into it.

After that day, Star was either extremely cross, inactive or a mixture of the two. His adventuring spirit, along with Scarlet's, disappeared and was replaced with grief. He usually walked around the guild, not giving out jobs, not taking jobs, and silent. Any little thing made him snap, and as a result, most members left him alone to grieve in peace. If he wasn't doing that, he was locked in his office. What he was doing was anyone's guess, but he made sure that no one could get in while he was in there. The productivity of the guild declined to an all time low, barely making enough money to get through the month. This was partly due to Scarlet's tendency to rake in much more than any other team and the fact that Star was in charge of finances, and with him doing anything but that, it was only natural for the income to plummet. No one seemed to mind though, Star wasn't the only one affected by the loss of Scarlet.

The guild was gloomy, and not as peppy as it used to be. Everyone loved Scarlet. She knew everyone and knew exactly what made them smile and without her, everyone seemed to just give up. Nero was extremely devastated. The loss of one of the best members the guild has seen to date was heartbreaking to him, and all the money she always brought in wasn't helping either, as it was gone too. Ace and Tara took a break from exploring for a while. Being their team member and close friend, seeing her suddenly vanish made it difficult for their morale. Every mission they went on ended up in failure, and they couldn't seem to get back into the rhythm of things. The town of Presidium seemed depressing for a few weeks as well. Most of the shopkeepers knew the friendly Zorua very well; she was always buying gifts for everyone with all her leftover cash. The town was slow, no one really wanting to buy anything. Nefi seemed the least bit affected. He was still very sympathetic towards Star, which was odd. Maybe he felt that if he teased the explorer with a "I told you so" he would only end up getting hurt. But in reality, he never had any attachment towards the vixen and wasn't impacted as the rest of the more familiar town. Alex and Imani were the last ones to hear the news, and, were two sad when it reached them. Scarlet, like Star, stopped by their home every so often for supplies and just to talk with the two, but she was more welcome than Star. She always seemed to bring charisma and charm to any dreary place, and with her gone, the abandoned mansion turned quiet once again.

Time heals all wounds though and the town, and its residents soon returned to its normal business. Even Star, who took much longer than the others, returned back to his old self. It's surprising how quickly people can forget about someone, no matter how much of an influence they were. Maybe the world wouldn't get anywhere if everyone mourned every loss forever, so they are forced to forget. But even though they have to forget, doesn't mean that they will.


	7. Chapter 7: The Hit

Star huffed as he tripped over some loose footing on the way up the Cheater's Lift, some bluffs filled with caves and tunnel systems. It had been six months since Scarlet disappeared, and the damage has been done, and fixed. Star was on another mission, a hit actually. He hadn't had one of these since that incident with Kross. The only different thing with this one was he was only told that he was dealing with a thief, and a good one at that. Their bounty was nothing to be modest about either, around 60,000. Nero told him that working would only do him good, but he felt that after this mission, he would need another break. 'The idiot who told me to climb up the bluffs instead of taking the path is losing their dinner privileges for a week,' he thought as he slipped again, sliding a bit. He really needs to learn to stop taking advice from his recruits.

He hoped from a ledge and kept climbing up, his treasure bag hitting him on his side as he swayed in the darkness. 'Wonder what this guy did to get a bounty of 60,000...' he thought as he closed his eyes, a stray wind blowing dust in his face. In hindsight, being a four legged creature with paws, he should have known that climbing a cliff would be extremely difficult. If only Nero didn't need all the money to pay off the new renovations he had done to the training pad outside. Star growled and cursed to himself as he slowly ascended. After a few minutes, he slung his bag over the top (or what seemed to be the top) of the cliff and pulled himself up. He laid on his back and rested his head on his bag. It was a clear sky tonight, and the moon was new. Stars dotted the purple skyline as the wind's blew through the Houndoom's shaggy fur. He stared at the sight motionless, maybe the climb was worth it after all. He smiled and rolled over and onto his feet. As much as star gazing was relevant to his interests, he had a job to do. He was on a plateau, with a few trees on the edges and a large jagged boulder to one side. There didn't seem to be much else, the tired hellhound hoped that he didn't climb a mountain for nothing. He scouted around for a bit but sighed, the trouble was getting down.

"Going somewhere?" Star's ears perked up as he turned around to the voice. It was assertive and yet, somehow friendly in a way. It was feminine and was close, but it was too dark to see. "Come on now, you just got here, and we have some catching up to do," teased the voice. It was getting closer, and more familiar as it did. Star stepped back, holding some flames in his muzzle ready for any attack that comes through the shadows. He looked around first though, there were trees around, and below was mostly beach and ocean, so it was probably fine to burn them for some light. He threw tiny fireballs at each of the five or so trees that lingered around the platform. They ignited quickly and lit up the area, but Star wished that he hadn't done that. Standing in the center of the plateau was a slender figure on two legs. She was taller than Star, unless Star were to stand on his hindlegs. She had three razor sharp claws on each of her arms, and pointy red ears. She had grey fur with a large black, fluffy collar. She had a long red and black mane that reached to her legs. And she had piercing, pale pink eyes with a scar above her right one. "Burning down the wildlife, how typical of you, you murderer," she said, not forcefully but more of an insult.

"Scarlet...you...what happened to you?" Star said, loosening his muscles and moving forward. She growled and stepped back.

"I got stronger, what does it look like?" she said. Star looked over the Zoroark, she had definitely grown.

"You even-"

"Evolved?" she finished. "Yeah, without you holding me back, I was free to train to my heart's content, and what better way to use my training, than to become the most wanted thief in the country!"

Star frowned. This was all his fault, he should have never taken her in to begin with.

"This isn't like you Scarlet...what happened to the innocent little girl that everyone loved?" he said, trying to get his point through to her. She growled and stepped forward.

"She's long gone and dead just like my family!" She screamed, growing angry. "Those pokemon never loved me, they were with you, only playing along with your game, spiting me..." Star's frown only grew larger as he tried to approach her. She extended her claws. "You stay away from me! Why can't you leave me alone!" Scarlet launched forward and slashed across the Houndoom's face, causing him to wince and yelp, jumping back. He slid across the loose gravel to the edge, looking down at the plummet. He covered his wounded face as she charged at him again. He didn't want to fight her, not after all that he's done. It's true that she will never forgive him, and he can't change that, but he is going to damn well try. She grabbed his sash and tugged him towards her, throwing him onto the rock, another yelp. He got up quickly, he couldn't stay down too long. She opened her mouth and used a Flamethrower attack. Star let out a surprised yip and dodged it, barely. She pounced him and held him against the rock, hitting him with a Night Slash to the side of his chest. He let out a pained cry as she tossed him across the platform near a ledge. He laid there limp as he looked at her slowly moving towards him.

"You cant beat me Star! I've become better than the master!" Star closed his eyes and got up, dusting himself off with his tail, ignoring the pain in his ribs. Star sighed. He knew what he had to do. He could see the suffering she has been through, her pale pink eyes told it all. This wasn't the same vixen he had saved before, it was someone more...lost. She looked like she had lost it all alone in the unforgiving dungeons. She had to learn to fight for herself, with no one to cheer her on or give her the support she so desperately needed. It was all his fault, and he knew exactly how to fix it. She laughed as she held her hands close, charging a ball of light in between them. "This should finish you off you good-for-nothing mutt!" Star gave her a quiet glare and ran towards her, at a speed that she hadn't seen before, disappearing into a blur. She let out a gasp and scowled in frustration. "Gah...hold still!" Scarlet threw the ball of energy into the air and smacked it down toward where Star might be into a Focus Blast. The ball smashed into the ground, cracking it as a cloud of rock and dirt splashed into the air. "Haha! Come on out Star! I know you are out there!" she teased, motioning with her claws to come at her. Her smug look soon turned to one of fear as the hellhound reappeared in front of her, not moving and giving a blank stare. Scarlet fidgeted in place. "Is this a joke to you?" she said quietly. "After all you've done to me, and you have the audacity to stare at me like that?" Star didn't move, or change his demeanor. "You really are a monster, you know that?"

The two kept to their positions, seeing which one would make the first move. The stand-off was longer than it had to be, seconds, minutes passing. Scarlet had enough. "Stop it! Stop staring at me like that!" she yelled, swinging her arm down at the expressionless fire-type. Star waited, everything seemed to be moving slower. The fire dancing on the trees, the rocks still falling from the blast not too long ago. Everything. He had to do it now. Star grabbed Scarlet's arm and tugged her to the ground by his teeth. She let out a scream as his fangs dug into her fur, and a cough as she hit the ground. She turned over, pain pulsating through her arm as she opened her eyes only to see Star move his head next to her's, his fangs showing. She kept stiff, her eyes wide with fear. He didn't attack, but he had to. He just wanted to close his eyes and finish her off with a well placed bite to her neck, but he couldn't. Despite the short time they have been together, Scarlet was everything to Star. It might have been his desperation for any sort of family that pushed him this far into his ruse. After being alone for years, decades without any sort of relationship, romantic or family related, he could only blame himself for what Scarlet has become. He let out a sigh, and began to whisper.

"Scarlet. You have every right to hate me, and I don't blame you. I wish I could change everything, I should have told you from the beginning and maybe...you could have been something. I know you won't forgive me, and never will, but I just want you to know, that...no matter what happens, no matter what you do...I will always love you. Because to me, you are still my little scarlet explorer." Scarlet let out a shudder, still not moving. She slowly turned to the hellhound's face. He had a sincere look, maybe his words got through to her. Her head was buzzing with thoughts, she didn't know what to believe anymore. She smiled back at him. Star's face lit up, as he released her and stepped back. "So Scarlet? What do you say?" He really hoped that his word's pushed through to her, everyone would be excited to see her back at the guild. His smile slowly disappeared as she gave a menacing smirk as she kicked him away and ran towards the ledge.

"What I say, is that you are still as gullible as when I first met you!" She held onto the trunk of one of the burning trees, seemingly uncaring for the fact that it is on fire. She winked and let go, falling back into the abyss. Star gasped and ran as fast as he could, he used all his energy on that last Crunch. He was too late, he was just a hair's width away from her as she fell with a smile on her face. He stared at her fall, screaming the entire way hoping that it would help in some way. Her face remained calm, and serene as she slowly closed her eyes. Star cringed and had to step back as a loud snapping sound echoed throughout the area, causing some Pidgeys to scatter away. Star sat down, he felt sick. There was no doubting it now. Scarlet the Zoroark, the thief, the ex-explorer, was dead. Star's Focus Sash was laying half undone on the ground as droplets fell on its complex fabric. For the first time since the fire. Star began to cry. He was certainly not looking forward to giving his report.


End file.
